


The One Where the Karaoke Didn’t Happen

by Afoolforatook, alphaparrot, Amber_Aglio, BrianneABanana, delta_altair, Nemomo, satariraine, StoryWeaverKirea, TesseractTown, TheCraftyNinjaCat, thedarkpoet, Victorious56



Category: RWBY
Genre: M/M, Rainbow Retreat is such a cool name, Restaurant/bar date
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:27:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25294672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Afoolforatook/pseuds/Afoolforatook, https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphaparrot/pseuds/alphaparrot, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amber_Aglio/pseuds/Amber_Aglio, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrianneABanana/pseuds/BrianneABanana, https://archiveofourown.org/users/delta_altair/pseuds/delta_altair, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nemomo/pseuds/Nemomo, https://archiveofourown.org/users/satariraine/pseuds/satariraine, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StoryWeaverKirea/pseuds/StoryWeaverKirea, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TesseractTown/pseuds/TesseractTown, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCraftyNinjaCat/pseuds/TheCraftyNinjaCat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedarkpoet/pseuds/thedarkpoet, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victorious56/pseuds/Victorious56
Summary: Everyone's favourite birdie and everyone's favourite plant go to a nice place for a date, and a few drinks (non-alcoholic ones, of course).
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: The Nonsense Game





	The One Where the Karaoke Didn’t Happen

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written for the Nonsense Game (Fair Game Effect Discord server) for the prompt Haven Academy: Night Out
> 
> Order of writers:
> 
> StoryWeaverKirea  
> TheCraftyNinjaCat  
> Victorious56  
> delta_altair  
> BrianneABanana  
> satariraine  
> Amber_Aglio  
> thedarkpoet  
> TesseractTown  
> alphaparrot  
> Afoolforatook  
> Nemomo

Qrow and Clover had been in Haven helping to rebuild and get the Academy back on track after defeating Salem. They’d grown closer over time so they decided to stay together as partners but they were still dancing around each other when it came to their romantic feelings. Oh they both knew there was something there on both sides but neither of them were sure how to close the gap. At least, that’s what Qrow thought until Clover approached him one evening after a hard day's work.

“Hey Qrow, do you have any plans tonight?” Clover asked him, sounding casual but hopeful. 

“Nope.” Qrow replied, popping the p. “Did you have something in mind?” He was trying to go for laid back but his interest was clear in his voice.

“I was thinking we could go out for dinner, just the two of us.” Clover seemed as confident as ever but inwardly he was a little nervous.

“Oh? Are you asking me out on a date, Lucky Charm?” Qrow’s voice was teasing but he was being genuine.

“Yeah, I am.” He spoke assertively, firm but then his features softened as he continued. “Is that okay?”

Qrow gave him a soft smile in return and said, “It's more than okay, I’d really like that, Clover.” 

Clover beamed at him, looking so incredibly happy, as if Qrow had made his life better. The shapeshifter felt his face heating up at the thought and couldn’t help but look away. The other man thought it was endearing.

“Great! So where should we go?” Clover’s question made Qrow laugh. A lovely sound to his ears.

“You asked me out but don’t know where to go?” He shook his head fondly.

“Well I’ve never been here before so I thought I’d ask the world traveler.” The lucky man told him enthusiastically. “I bet you know all the good spots!”

* * *

The shape-shifter scoffed, “Can’t say you’re wrong. If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to have a good time.”

“Then I’m all yours,” Clover announced, giving him an exaggerated salute, “By all means, show me the wonders of Haven.”

Qrow wasn’t a sappy man, but even he had to admit the overwhelming eagerness in Clover’s eyes was... _cute_. That was the gaze of a man who had never left his kingdom, and he’d be damned before he disappointed him. He was going to show his lucky charm the time of his life.

Qrow grinned, “I think I know a place you’re going to _love.”_

* * *

Clover ran a nervous finger around the inside of his collar. He didn’t like the look on Qrow’s face; he’d seen too many recipients of that sly grin before, to believe this was going to end well. He decided he’d have to tough it out.

“You know me, up for anything.” He smiled back at Qrow confidently. After all, he was a grown man. How bad could it possibly be?

Qrow reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “That’s my boy.”

“And don’t you forget it.” Clover pulled Qrow closer, a hard kiss and even harder hug almost derailing Qrow’s intent.

The older man pulled away. “Come on, soldier-boy, plenty of time for that later.” Qrow leaned in for one more soft kiss. “I promise.”

Clover made a noise deep in his throat. “Qrow, how do you do this to me? Every. Single. Time.”

“Natural talent.” Qrow took Clover’s hand, tugging him into a walk. “Now, as long as my memory doesn’t fail me, I don’t think we have too far to go.”

As they set off, Clover recalled how peaceful, organised, and utterly boring, his life had been before Qrow materialised into it. He smiled to himself, glancing sideways at Qrow, who was humming an unmusical tune, lips still curled into a grin.

Qrow stopped walking, looking about with a frown. His brow cleared as his eyes alighted on a small side turning up ahead.

“Aha, that’s the street. I just hope the place is still open. We are going to have _such fun_.”

Clover considered the wicked smile on Qrow’s lips, and wondered what awaited them up ahead. He swallowed hard, following Qrow to what he hoped would be an enjoyable, rather than acutely embarrassing, evening.

* * *

Qrow reached out and grasped Clover's hand, interlinking their fingers together. "Come on, boy scout," he said, that mischievous grin lighting up his whole expression. "Let's get going!"

His partner set off again at a speedy pace, Clover following. He paid less attention to the myriad of bright lights and busy sidewalks passing them by, and much more to the feeling of Qrow's hand in his own. Qrow's grip felt soft, despite calloused fingertips, and a gentle warmth seeped between their hands. Clover gave Qrow's hand a little squeeze. Qrow looked back over his shoulder, eyebrow raised in question, but Clover just smiled at him. Expression softening, Qrow smiled back. As he turned his gaze back to the road, Clover just barely noticed the soft flush of color dusting Qrow's cheekbones. All to himself, Clover smiled wider.

After another minute of walking, Qrow finally stopped. He gave Clover's hand a squeeze as he gestured towards the building in front of him. "Here we are!"

Clover turned his gaze from his partner to examine the building they had arrived at. A lit sign reading "Rainbow Retreat" hung above the door. At first glance it seemed like a typical bar, with colorful lanterns lighting the outside and the raucous sounds of a party pouring from within. But then Clover's eyes caught the sign hanging in the window.

_Haven's premiere alcohol-free bar! Pool and karaoke every night!_

Qrow leaned close, laying his free hand on Clover's shoulder. Clover felt Qrow's breath against his ear as he whispered, "Ever hear my singing voice, lucky charm?"

* * *

A shudder ran down Clover’s spine. Qrow’s warm breath on his ear and the prospect of hearing that raspy voice carry a tune excited him.

“Can’t say I have, songbird. I think I would’ve remembered if I did.” He reached his arm around Qrows waist to bring him even closer, “Why don’t you show me what you got?”

The older man threw him a giddy smirk, then pulled him inside the bar by his wrist. As he suspected, crossing the threshold of the doorway was like walking into jello. He felt the bass of the music beat in his chest, the heat of so many bodies practically baking him, and as the name suggested - a rainbow of pulsing lights almost creating a shutter effect. 

He must’ve stood in the doorway a bit long, as he felt Qrow tug on his wrist. 

“Come on Lucky Charm, let's grab a booth!” He led them through the chaos to a back hallway away from the main 2 story dance floor. Each door was decorated in a different color to follow the bars theme, and some were lit up with corresponding colored lights. _Probably to indicate it being occupied._

Qrow stopped in front of a green door and stepped inside. “This one looks unused, and hey what’d you know? It’s your color” he said with a wink. He flicked on the lights both in the room and on the door, and they slipped inside. All the furniture and decor matched the door of course: an expansive green leather couch and ottoman, green carpet and walls, and a bright green flatscreen on the opposite wall. Even the microphones were a vibrant green color!

A small thud got his attention. “We can order drinks to wet our pipes before we get started. They’ll bring em’ to the room. I promise everything is damn delicious, you’d never know this bar was dry.” 

Clover sat down next to Qrow and looked over the extensive drink menu. Mai Tais, Mojitos, and all manner of mocktails were displayed in color on each page alongside non traditional bar drinks like smoothies and sodas. 

“What’re you gonna get Cloves?”

* * *

“Mm, tough choice,” Clover hummed, drumming his fingers along the tabletop in front of him. The list of mocktails was impressive, sure, but he’s a bit more interested in the way Qrow’s grinning, at ease. Comfortable. “Ever heard of a ‘sleight of hand’?”

Qrow laughed, sharp and short, not even looking up from the menu. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”

Clover barely repressed a snort at that, leaning against the back of the couch to shoot a look in Qrow’s direction. “Oh, yeah? Why?” He doesn’t have long to worry about the tone of his words, leaning a touch too heavy on the side of non-professional - not when Qrow looked back at him like that. 

“It’s clean cut, sharp. A bit pretentious.” Red eyes drop to scan him before Clover could completely catch the movement, a bit too focused on the way Qrow was grinning. “Y’know, like you.”

“So you’d want one, too?”

Qrow tossed an arm over the back of the couch and spared Clover an eyeroll. Clover counted that as a win and tossed his arm back in turn, very aware of how close their hands were to one another’s.

“I’d tell you don’t push your luck, but...” 

“But look who you’re talking to.”

Qrow looked back to the mocktail menu. “So one ‘sleight of hand’ and I’ll have a “spice and tonic.”

* * *

“Good choice,” Clover nodded and flagged down a passing waiter to tell him their order. Qrow waited until they were alone again to chuckle and sink further into the seat. 

“Let’s be real, I have no idea what I’m getting into. But I trust you that it’s going to be nice.” He wiggled again, making himself more comfortable, and Clover had to squash down the thought of getting him half a dozen blankets to nest in. Or maybe pulling him to his side, so that Qrow could snuggle into Clover. 

Clover waved the tempting thought away and turned towards Qrow, pretending that the motion didn’t push his hand even closer to Qrow’s. “I wouldn’t have suggested the place if I didn’t think you would enjoy it.”

Qrow leaned his head onto the back of the couch, baring the entirety of his neck to the artificial lights. His eyes closed, he looked more relaxed than Clover had ever seen him – then again, the atmosphere was quite different from the back of a truck or a camp in the middle of nowhere.

“I’m… glad you insisted we go,” Qrow admitted. “This is… this is nice.”

Clover was a trained military Huntsman, he had learned to control his body since a young age, and that was the only reason he didn’t let out a triumphant shout and throw his fist in the air. He did, however, almost spook the waiter with his beaming smile.

“Your drinks,” the waiter placed two glasses on the table even as he eyed Clover with mild apprehension. Clover quickly schooled his face into something more neutral than the “I think this man is precious” expression. “ _Sleight of hand_ and _spice and tonic_.” Clover took his own steaming glass and passed Qrow the second one, eagerly waiting for his reaction. 

* * *

Qrow didn’t disappoint; he took a leisurely sip of the beverage, his eyes slipping closed as he savoured the taste. When his eyes opened, they were practically glowing, his whole expression warmer than Clover could ever remember seeing it.

“Delicious,” Qrow said, and it was easy for Clover to return his smile. He sipped his own drink, the sweet flavour popping against his tongue as the bubbles fizzed into his mouth.

Waiting never really felt like waiting with Qrow, even when they didn’t speak, and it seemed that their entrees arrived in no time at all. Clover reluctantly pulled his eyes from the huntsman as the waiter put a crisp salad onto his placemat.

* * *

“Listen, Clover, I never said I was good at Dinner conversation,” Qrow mutters under his breath as he takes a bite of his food.

Clover shrugs, “And that’s perfectly fine Qrow, just say whatever comes to mind and enjoy your food.”

* * *

Qrow took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said.

“You got this, spice rack,” Clover said, leaning over to give him a peck on the cheek.

Qrow rose to his feet, glass of apple cider in hand, and cleared his throat. The hubbub died away, and many sets of eyes turned toward him. He took another deep breath.

“I...know life hasn’t been easy,” he began. “We’ve all suffered. We’ve all lost. For a long time, I thought losing was all there was. I knew I had to fight, but I didn’t think there would be anything in it for me--maybe if I fought hard enough, things wouldn’t be so bad for those who came next. Maybe things wouldn’t be as bad for Ruby and Yang.”

“We love you Qrow!!” Ruby shouted.

“Yeah!” Yang shouted in agreement.

“Love you too, kiddos,” Qrow replied, with a wink. “I...haven’t really liked to talk about it, but we all know I didn’t deal with my emotions in a healthy way. I’m doing better now,” he said, raising his glass of juice to a smattering of applause, “but learning to cope in a healthy way is a struggle. I have you guys to thank for getting me to start improving--” he nodded to his nieces and their friends--”and I’ve got this guy sitting next to me to thank for helping me stick with it,” he said, turning to look at Clover. Clover looked up, his teal eyes full of love.

“I’m not a lucky guy,” Qrow continued, fiddling with the stem of his glass of cider. “My whole life, bad stuff has happened to me and the people I cared about. Some of that was because sometimes, the world is a difficult place. Some of that was because of my semblance. Eventually, I didn’t believe I deserved love, because I could only repay it with misfortune. Then,” Qrow said, looking down at Clover, his heart filling with warmth as Clover gazed back at him, “I met Clover.”

* * *

“I used to think that that was a stroke of luck, a gift given to me by his semblance. A gift that I could never properly return. I used to... “ he paused, Clover’s influence causing him to balk at his own history of self destruction. “I used to think my good luck of finding him was his bad luck at getting me.”

He saw the softness in Clover’s eyes as he reached to gently take his hand. He gave a gentle squeeze in response before continuing.

“I think I understand a little better now though. I can’t say for sure how much our semblances, how much our ebb and flow of luck played a part in our meeting. But I know that what we’ve been for each other...What… what he… Clover, what you’ve been for me, for my chaotic, pieced together, family…” He smiled out at the kids. “For my kids.” They all knew they were his, he was theirs. “That was fate.”

He turned his gaze back to Clover, heart racing, taking his hand in both of his. “I thought my fate would only ever be that of an omen to the people I loved. And then this cocky, frustratingly optimistic, straight laced, lucky charm grabbed my hand. And ever since… I’ve found it easier and easier to believe that maybe my misfortune doesn’t have to be my fate.” 

He brought Clover’s hand to his lips gently before finding the safety of his eyes once more. 

“Maybe I can have a say in what luck I have in my life.”

* * *

"Throw that maybe away" slowly murmured the man in front of him.

"Make me."

And Clover honked.


End file.
